Sheet-metal track-belt unit



March 2 1926..

R. H. -WHlTE SHEET METAL TRACK BELT UNIT 2 Sheetsvheei l Filed May 5, 1922 March 2 1926.

Rv. H. WHITE SHEET METAL TRACK BELT UNIT Filed May 5, 1922 2 sheets-Sheet 2 Mmmm SHEET-METAL TRAGKBELT UNIT.

Application led May 5, 1922. Serial'` No.V 558,721.

To 0:35 whom lm og/ concern:

Be it known that l, RoLLIN H. WHITE, e.

citi? n et `the United States, residing atv track foelts `tor track laying tractors.

@ne oft' the objects ot' this invention is to torni eecli track 'unit from two pieces of elieetnietei, Wliicli are secured-.together to :tori-n e rigid construction providing a. :rond engaging 'slice and a track spaced me" troni.

other object of my invention is to proclienisin ttor pivotelly' securing the i u ,ng ends of the track units together,

fierro endliielt.' y iiimtlier o'bjeetfoi my invention is to provide it ioop et krie end of a treoknnit, the end which entends between the rail sides end ie seemed thereto.

Another? object of my invention is.to provide loop et one ,lend of e track unit7 the endet which .ei l under the rail plate iii-provided nf'itli struts which support.- reil Mete.

. iai-other object of my invention rein bushing for tlie units and the maner in trl "tions thereof are used to enrotation of the 35 'iiese :and other objects Will appear in the eppentl cpeeilicetion describing my inven- Wie novel :'feetnres of which Will be i in tire ai' )ended claims.

L u l n y .e drawings, Flgure l.. 1s o. i tivo track units plvotally 'om pilen 'View of the same;

v mgmentm'y view partially in n token on line X-X of Fig. 1 to ew the meneer of locking the bushing in position.;

` en line C-C of Fig. 2;

i U .i Fig. e ie e. Beetle ll invention relates to improvements in Fig. 9 is e section on line et and Fig. l0 is a plan section o; Fig. 5.

The endiees track beit plurality of like units piro unit consisting of e botto formed from e single slk rail member tiforined i ot metal, vvliieii eline plany 1' are rigidly connected together. @ii

The bottoni sliee plate l5 is; formed from e rectangular piece of slieet metal. which lies 2. central portion thereof pressed, to iorm. e transversely tite-.ending double thielr groot.- er l?. A tlnx 17A fills in the gzip AtietWeen i the metal ontleed by pressing the gronter from the blank. and prevents; longitudine?. displacement @tithe .ilioe et point. The forward end of tlie shoe plete is out een traily providing en opening i8, 'which oit iii :t elightiy greater Width than the reii nient ber` i6. The front ends ot the slioeplote on eecli 'side of the opening 18 are eert/ed n Wardl'. the completed enit this t plete inni nee upwardly slight ree-r end termed the trent-.e filmt it may' o f lap the reni e. l. foin-ing shoe plete.

The railinein'ber i6 oi een from e of pressed Shaped., ont7 and le parte new to loe lorigitu'ilmil port .c rail piate it? upon 1; c) ing the tractor beer, t mil plete and enten( thereww 7 t War-ily tin-refrein e.; rail. plate sides i. of the bent up rail bent down substantiel to the plete and ivliicli support tite teil slice. The lower edges et are secu to tiie bottoni elio-e in any enitelile nimmer9 but luge are provided enti project holes: in the shoe plete and tile e o jeetingends of the lugs ore npeet the bottom :tace ot the f'lioe plete., 'Each Mii side of the. reillolenlr is ont en eegle to allow the Shoe plete to incline opvfferoly previouslyddescribed end et the time ne if-A. o

:nado up oit e together, each fil" e plate l5 metal, and o.

e." l it eerie angular' spaces between the low therail plate to lie in a horizontal plane. The lugs 23 are formed by cutting away the edges of the blank` The sides of the rail member at one end and cut away providing a tongue forming a continuation of the rail plate which tongue is bent under forming a loop 24, the end of which extendsin a horizontal plane belowthe rail plate and above the shoe plate. The metal blank is so out, that ears 25 extend from the side edges of the end of the loop and these ears project through slots 26 in the rail sides 22. The projecting ends of these ears 25 are upset against the outer face of the. rail sides and serve to rigidly secure the loop in position and also to brace the rail sides. The metal blank is also out, to provide an extension on each side of the loop end, in the front of the ears 25, and these sections are bent up and lie parallel with the rail sides forming struts 27. The ends of these struts extend into the inside of the rail sides and the rail plate sides, and bear f against the sides thereof thereby adding rigidity to the looped end of the unit. The

` ears 25 prevent longitudinal distortion of together thereby the looped end ot' the rail member, and the struts 27 assist in preventing vertical distortion of the rail member.

The rear end of the rail member is cut away on each side forming a central tongue 28 which' projectsinto an opening 29 out in the top of the loop 24 of the adjoining unit. The tongue is oi' suicient length to liel within the opening in any position the adjoining units can assume when pivoted providing a continuous rail 'plate surface under all working conditions-.for the rollers oiga tracklaying track .to rollen.

Near the rear end of each side 22 of the rail member, the metal is pressed out and Worked 4to-iorm aligned outwardly extending hollow bosses 30. The boss on one side of the rail member has an open end and the boss on the other sideof the rail :rnemL ber has an end wall 31 which is out away to provide a slot 32. The ends of the sides 2 are cutto form semi-circular ears 33 which extend beyond the bosses and lie outside of the sides of the loop of the adjoinmg unit when the track is assembled.

A central portion of the outer edges of the braces is out away forming semi-circular recesses 34, and a cylindrical bushing 3 5, the same width as the loop 24, is inserted and lies snugly within the loop and -the recesses in ther braces. Each end of the 00 b .v1de tongues 36 which bear ushing 1s cut and bent outwardly to proagainst the lower edge of the braces and prevent rota- 'tion' of the bushing when in position in the unit. j

When it is desired to assemble the like the flat ends of the pin.

and the `ears 33 overlap units deseribed, the looped enel 24 of each l unit is inserted between the rail sides of the rear end of the adjoining unit, so that the bushing within the loop and the bosses arel in alignment. .A cylindrical pin 37 having flat ends 38 is inserted into the open boss and is pressed therein and through the bushing 35 and the slotted opening v32 in the end wall of the boss on the opposite rail side. Rollers 39 are then placed on the bosses and dished washers 40 having a slotted opening 4l are pushed on the flat projecting` ends of the pin until the edges bear against the outer edges of the rollers.

he washers are provided with recesses 42 inv their periphery, and Cotter keys 43 are inserted through holes 44 extending through The ends of the keys are bent into the recesses 42 of the washers, thereby locking the pin, the washers and the rollers in position. It will be seen that the pin is secured rigidly within the bosses, because the fiat end thereof extends through the slot in the end of one of the bosses, and that it hinges Within the bushing secured within the loop of the adjoining unit.

The curved end of the shoe plate overlaps the end of the adjoining shoe plate the sides of the loop of the adjoining unit and are free to pivot in this position. The tongue 28 projects into the slot 29 in the loop forming a continuous roller bearing surface when the units are assembled. Sprocket teeth not shown engage the rollers on the bosses for driving the track.

Obviously, changes in the details of yconstruction may be. made without departing lfrom the spirit of the invention and I do not limit my invention to the specific constructionv shown and described herein.

What Iclaim is 1. A track belt unit comprisin a shoe plate, and a rail member forme from a sheet metal blank, said rail member comprising a rail plate, depending sides secured to said shoe plate, said sides having o nings therein, said rail plate having one endllooped under and extending between said sides, and ears on saidloop secured within the openings in said sides.

los

21A track belt unit comprising. a shoe )risinfr a rail )late sides de endinr from D 3 D said rail plate secured to said shoe plate, a

loop. at one end of said rail member, and rigid; means extending upward from each side of said loop to engage the sides of said rail plate.

4. A track belt unit comprising a shoe plate, and a rail member formed Afrom a Sheet metal blank, said rail member comprising a rail plate, Sides depending from said rail plate securedto said shoe plate, a loop at one end of said rail member,and struts extending upward from the bottom of said loop at each side thereof engaging the sides of said rail member.

5. A track belt unit comprising a shoe plate, and a rail member formed from a sheet metal blank bent to provide aA rail plate having side flanges, rail sides Adepending from said rail plate flanges and secured to said slioe plate, a forwardly extending loop,

and struts bent up from the sides ot" said loop to extend between and engage said rail plate sides and said depending rail sides to support said rail plate.

6. A track belt unit comprising a. shoe plate, and a rail lmember rigidly secured together, said rail member comprising. a rail plate, sides depending from said rail plate, and aligned hollow bosses extending from said sides, one of said bosses having a transveree ond wall provided with a slotted opening and the other boss having an open end.

7. A sheet metal track belt unit bushing,

comprising a single sheet of nictal curved to form a split cylindrical tube and -having an integral projection extending transversely to the longitudinal axis thereoil, each end adapted to engage a track belt unit to prevent the bushing from rotating therewith.

8. A sheet metal track belt bushing, com prising a single sheet of metal curved to form a cylindrical tube and having tongues struck out from its'wall. projecting at an aii'gle vtransversely to the periphery thereof which are adapted to engage a unit of the track belt to prevent rotation ot the bushing in relation to the unit.

9. A track belt unit comprising a shoe plate, a rail member including a loop and upwardly extending struts therein, said struts having a seinicireular recess in the ends thereof, and a bushing positioned within the loop and the semi-cironlar recesses in said struts, said bushing having aJtongue projecting from its-periphery at each end, and engaging said struts to prevent rotation oi said bushing in relation to said rail member.

In testimony whereof, l hereunto aliix my signature.

' ROLLlN H. Wlll'il. 

